Paper Number
PO118 

Session
Poster Session

Title
Structure and dynamics of bimodal attractive colloidal gels

Presentation Date and Time
October 12, 2022 (Wednesday) 6:30

Track / Room
Poster Session / Riverwalk A

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

1. Campbell, Rob (Northeastern University)
2. Jamali, Safa (Northeastern University)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Rob Campbell and Safa Jamali
Northeastern University, Boston, MA

Speaker / Presenter 
Campbell, Rob

Keywords
computational methods; colloids; gels

Text of Abstract
The microstructure and macroscopic rheology of attractive colloidal assemblies are largely determined by the state variables of the system: the particle volume fraction and the range and strength of interparticle attractions. In most cases these variables are enough to yield a coarse description of the structure and rheology of gels made from monodispersed colloidal particles; however, when large particle size differences are present the behavior and dynamics of each particle population affects the overall structure. These size difference effects are largely unexplored. Here, we report on the mesoscale structure and particle dynamics of colloidal gels made from two different sized particles. Using mesoscale simulation techniques, we create a series of gels from two types of spherical colloids (size ratio 2:1) at a fixed total colloidal volume fraction, varying the proportion of each colloid type. We then use the contact number, mean squared displacement, and g(r) to bring insight into the behavior of each particle population and the overall gels formed, benchmarking against model monodispersed gels.